1. Field of Invention
The present disclosure relates to operations in a subterranean formation. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a hydraulic fracturing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used to stimulate production from some hydrocarbon producing wells. The technique usually involves injecting fluid into a wellbore at a pressure sufficient to generate fissures in the formation surrounding the wellbore. Typically, the pressurized fluid is injected into a portion of the wellbore that is pressure isolated from the remaining length of the wellbore so that fracturing is limited to a designated portion of the formation. The fracturing fluid slurry, whose primary component is usually water, includes proppant (such as sand or ceramic) that migrate into the fractures with the fracturing fluid slurry and remain to prop open the fractures after pressure is no longer applied to the wellbore. Other than water, potential primary fluids for the slurry include nitrogen, carbon dioxide, foam (nitrogen and water), diesel, or other fluids. The fracturing slurry may also contain a small component of chemical additives, which can include scale build up inhibitors, friction reducing agents, viscosifiers, stabilizers, pH buffers, acids, biocides, and other fluid treatments. In embodiments, the chemical additives comprise less than 1% of the fracturing slurry.
The fluids are blended with a proppant in the blender unit. The proppant is supplied from a nearby proppant source via a conveyor into a hopper associated with the blender unit. The hopper associated with the blender unit can be difficult to align with the proppant feed. This difficulty arises, in part, because during transport on a trailer, the hopper of the blender unit is typically placed in a raised position. In order to properly position the hopper relative to the conveyor, so that the hopper can receive proppant, three steps are necessary, including 1) the trailer carrying the blender unit must be aligned with the conveyor, 2) power must be connected to the blender unit, and 3) the hopper must be lowered into position to receive proppant from the conveyor.
The problem lies in the necessary order of these three steps in known systems. For example, typically, power to the blender unit is not connected until all trailers and equipment are in place at the well site. Because the hopper cannot be lowered into position until power is connected to the blender unit, this means that the blender unit trailer must be positioned relative to the conveyor while the hopper unit is in the elevated position. The problem with this is that when in the hopper is in the elevated position, it is very difficult to tell when the trailer is properly aligned with the conveyor. Furthermore, by the time power is connected, allowing the hopper to be lowered, it is too late to reposition the blender unit trailer if the hopper does not properly align with the conveyor.